Smut-machine.



No; 699,892'. Patented May I3, i902.

.1'. L. owl-INS.-

SMUT MACHINE.

(Application led Feb. 4, 1901.)

Has ATTQRNEYS Patented May`l3, i902..

J. L. OWENS.

SMUT MACHINE.

(Application led Fab. 4; 1901.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2` (No Model.)

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0.699,892. Patented may I3, |902. Y

J.- L.- OWENS.-

smuTMAcHmaf (Application led. Feb. 4, 1901.)

(No Model.) v 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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UNITED STATES;

PATENT OFFICE.,-

JoHN L.y owENs, or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

sPno'IFr'c'rroN raming part of 'Letters Parent ivo. 699,892, dated May13, 190e.

Application filed February 4, 1901.- Serial No. 45,818. (No model.)

To all zij/tom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN L. OWENS, of Minneapolis, Hennepin county,Minnesota, have invented certain Inew, and useful Improve-- ments insmut-Machines, of which the followinis a specification. l

he invention relates to grain-cleaning machines; andthe object of theinvention is to provide a machine for rapidly and thoroughly cleaningand removing smut and other light deleterious particles from wheat andother grains.

The invention consists generally in various constructions andcombinations, all as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a side. elevation of a smut-machine embodying myinventiovn. Fig. 2is a vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. 4 is ade-` tail of a skimming device. Fig.5 is a detail. of the hopperfeed-board'. y Fig. 6 is a detail of the mechanism for adjusting theshafts of .the carrier.

In the drawings, 2 represents a suitableframe wherein a tank is arrangedcontaining 'a supply of water. This tank -is provided with iiaringor'inclined Walls 3 and 4 and has a suitable lining 5, preferably ofmetal, where-f` by the tank is rendered water-tight. The lining at oneend of the machine has an ex-f tension 6, extending beyond the wall 4ofthe: tank, and is inclined slightly toward the tank: for the purposehereinafter described. 'y

Above the tank is a hopper 7,*of the usual form, having adischarge-opening 8 -atlthe bottom, through which the grain ilowsdown.lb into the tank. For closing this opening to prevent the dischargeof grain from the hopper I provide a plate 9, pivotally connected at oneend with the wall of the hopper by aY link 10land'atits other endconnectedto an operating-lever 11, that is also`pivoted on' theI hopper.This lever is adapted to oscillate on its pivot and move the plate 9laterally to un-l cover the discharge-opening, and I prefer to" providea recess 12 in the hopper-wall, wherein the plate oscillates. As clearlyindicated in Fig. 5, when the plate is in the positionindicated bydotted lines the discharge-opening will be uncovered 'and grainpermitted to flow fromfthe' hopper. Upon moving the lever to theposition indicated by full lines infsaid ligure the'hopper-openingwill-be closed. 'At'the bottom of the hopper, near thedischarge-opening, I provide a guiding strip or plate 13, preferablyexible, extending down'into the water in the tank and held in its properposition by a iioat 14. Within the water-tank and extending above thetop of the same at one end of the machine is an elevator trunk` oriiight comprising side boards 15, `one of which is secured to the wallof the tank and theother preferably occupying a position near theopposite wall and connected on the under side by a close floor or bottomplate 16, that extends preferably up to the level of the water in thetank. The upper ends of the side boards are preferably connected by avcross-bar 17. Mounted in bearings on the side boards, -near the ends ofthe elevatortrunk, arel shafts 18, provided with sprockets 19and-20,-over which the chains 21 pass, that are connected at intervalsby slats 22. I prefer to provide guiding strips or boards 23 for saidchains on the side boards 15, and these guiding-boards are preferablyconnected by a board 24, which prevents the slats in theirvupward'movement over the floor 16 fromrising Vp'a'n'd Vsliding over thegrain, and side lboards-23 also actas guides for the chains duringtheirdownward movement into the tank; Asthe grain is discharged from the`hopper it willl fall -into the water. directly in thelpath'of'themoving slats 22, and. these slatsiwill'agitate the water sufficiently toseparate the smut and light foreign material from the grain and drive itforward under ythe iieiribleplate 13, while the grain will settle downinto'the elevator-trunk and lodge upon the floor 16. The cross-board 25will act as a guide or guard toprevent `the grain from droppingdown intothe lower end of the elevatorltrunk-,or fro m escapingtherefrom and'becoming-mixed with the refuse material.

One of theprimary objects of my invention is to discharge fthe graininto the water as rapidlyas possible and remove it fromthe water with aslittle delay as will be consistent with a thorough separation of thesmut and other foreign material. The elevator chain or carrier istherefore adapted to pass the hopper close to its discharge-opening, so

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that the water will be agitated and the wheat subjected to the washingprocess as soon as it drops into the tank, and after settlingto thebottom of the trunk will be gathered up without delay by the returningslats and lifted out of the tank. The wheat is therefore removed fromthe water immediately after the separation of the smut therefrom.

Near the upper end of the elevator-trunk is a cross-bar 2G, betweenwhich and the iioor 16 I provide a perforated plate 27, over which theslats 22 sweep after leaving said iloor. The grain that is gathered upby these slats will be drained of water while passing over theperforated floor, and I prefer to provide a trough or box 28 beneath theupper end of the elevator-trunk and into which the grain is dischargedby the conveyer-slats over the The box 28 has suitable end boards 29 anda cross-bar 30 and is provided with a perforated door 31, over which thegrain is swept by slats 32, connecting chains 33, that pass oversprockets 34 on shafts 35, mounted on the ends of said box.

The grain as it is discharged into the box is swept over the perforatedoor and thel water allowed to drain out of the same, while the grain ispushed forward and out of the open discharge end of the box. Theextension G of the lining of the tank extends under the perforated floor35 and receives the water therefrom and conducts the same to the tank. Iprefer to secure the extension 6 to the bottom of the trough or box 28and provide a series of cross-bars 36, supporting the same, and

between said extension and the inner end of the trough I provide anOpening 37, through which the Water flows on its way back to the tank.Vith this construction the wheat on leaving the water is drained inpassing over the plate 27, then shaken up or agitated in its dischargefrom the elevator-trunk into the box or trough 28, then subjected to asecond draining operation before its discharge out of the machine.Braces 38 may be provided for supporting the trough on the frame of themachine. justing the tension of the con veyer-chain, the shafts of whichare adjustable in slots 39, as shown in the side walls of the box 28 inFig. l. Each end of the shaft 35 is provided with an eye 40, to which isconnected a hook 41, that extends through the cross-bar 30 and isrendered adjustable by means of a nut on its threaded end. Cross-bar 17on the elevatortrunk is connected in a similar manner with the adjacentshaft 18. p

The smut and other light deleterious substances that are separated fromthe grain rise to the top of the tank on the right-hand side of thehopper' and collect there on the surface of the water, and at this pointI prefer to provide means for skimming the surface of the water andgathering up the refuse material thereon. To this end I mount agear-wheel 42 on a standard 43, and on said wheel near its circumferenceI pivot a lever 44, that is I prefer to provide means for ad-` pivotallyconnected with an arm 45, secured on the side of the hopper by a link46. lever 44 extends down near the surface of the water and is providedwit-h a scoop device or skimmer 47, that is preferably of rubber andsweeps over and through the water with a gyrating movement when thewheel 42 is rcvolved. On the wall 3 at the top of the tank is aperforated plate 48, supported on slats 49 and raised above said wall.The skimmerblade in its movement sweeps up over said plate and carriesthe smut and other refuse material up onto the plate and leaves it thereto drain. In the next stroke of the blade it sweeps a further quantityof smut up onto the plate and pushes the first deposit still farther`up, until it finally is discharged over the edge of the tank, eachskimmerful or load being left on the perforated plate for an interval todrain before being discharged out of the machine.

Any suitable means may be provided for driving the carriers and othermechanism; but I have shown a driving-shaft 50, provided with a crank 51for operating the machine by hand. A chain 52 connects a sprocket on theshaft with a similar sprocket on' the shaft 18 at the toplof theelevator-trunk, and a chain 53 connects a sprocket on said shaft 18 witha sprocket on the shaft 35 beneath. A large gear 42 is driven by a chain54 from a sprocket on the shaft 50.

The operation of the machine is as follows The lever 11 having beenoperated to uncover the hopper-openin g, the grain will flow down intothe tank and upon striking the water will be stirred up and agitated bythe slats of the conveyer, and the kernels of grain will settle betweensaid slats down upon the floor of the elevator-trunk, from whence theywill be gathered up on the upward movement of the slats, carried ovelthe perforated grainoor 27, discharged into the trough 28, and

--there subjected to a second draining process before passing out of themachine. The plate 13 will prevent the grain from-being swept alongunder the hopper and mixed with the refuse material, and the smut andother light particles remaining on the surface ofl the water will becarried forward by the agitating movement of the conveyer-slats untilthey come into the path of the skimmer, when they will be swept up onthe draining-plate and from thence out of the machine. I am thus abletoeffect a very rapid and thorough separation of smut and other lightrefuse material from wheat or other grain without the necessity ofkeeping the wheat for any length of time in the water or passing itthrough any drying process after it leaves the machine.

In various ways the details of construction may be modified by any oneskilled in the art withoutvdeparting from my invention.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination, with a tank adapted tocontain a supply of water and provided with a suitable hopper, of aninclined eleva- The IOO

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tor-trunk within said tank beneath said hopper, a floor 16 in the bottomof said trunk whereon the grain falls from said hopper, a slattedelevator-belt adapted to sweep over said floor and carry the grain tothe upper end thereof out of the water in the tank, a perforated plateor section provided near the upper end of said floor whereon the grainis partially drained before its discharge by said conveyer, a troughbeneath the discharge end of said iioor to receive the grain therefrom,r

a perforated floor therein whereon the grain falls and is drained asecond time, and a` Atrough 28 beneath the discharge end of said floorto receive the grain therefrom, a perforated plate 3l in the bottom ofsaid trough whereon the grain falls and is drained of the water, aslatted belt operating over said plate to sweep the grain to thedischarge end of said trough, and an imperforate plate 6 providedbeneath said trough and plate and whereon the water drained from thewheat is conducted back to said tank, substantially as described and forthe purpose specified.

3. The combination, with a tank adapted to contain a supply of waterandprovided with a suitable hopper, of an inclined elevator-trunk withinsaid tankbeneath said hopper, a iioor 16 inthe bottom of said trunk andwhereon the grain falls fromsaid hopper, a slatted elevator-belt adaptedto sweep over said iioor and carry the grain to the upper end thereofout of the water in the tank, a perforated plate or section provided inthe upper end of said ioor whereon the grain is partially drained ofWater before its discharge by said conveyer, a substantially horizontaltrough 28 beneath the discharge end of said floor, a perforate plate 31provided in the bot-v tom of said trough and whereon the grain fallsfrom said ioor and is subjected to a second draining operation, aslatted belt operating over said plate to sweep the-grain to thedischarge end of said trough, and an imperforate plate 6 provided'beneath said trough and perforate plate and inclined slightly towardsaid tank, whereby the drippings from said trough will be conductedbackto said tank, substantially as described and for the purpose specied.

4. The combination, with'a tank adapted to contain a supply ofwater andprovided with a suitable hopper and a grain-elevating mechanism, of asprocket-wheel supported on the wall of said tank, means for drivingsaid wheel, a lever 44 pivoted eccentrically on said wheel and dependingto a point near the water in said tank, askimmerdevice 47 provided onthe lower end of said lever and adapted to sweep over the surface of thewater when said lever is actuated, a fixed arm 45 and a link 46pivotally connecting said arm 45 and the upper end of said lever,whereby when said wheel is revolved a gyratin g motionwill be impartedto said lever and skimmer, for the purpose specified. l

5. The combination, with a tank adapted to contain a supply of waterandprovid'ed" with a suitable hopper and grain-elevatingde'f vices, of agear-wheel supported on the wall of said tank, means for driving saidwheel,- a lever 44 eccentrically pivoted on saidwhe'el and depending toapoint near the surface'of the Water in the tank, a skimming device profvided on the lower end of said lever and adapted to sweep over thesurface of the Water and gather up'the smut thereon, a'perforated plateprovided on the wall of said tank where-j on the smut is depositedv bythe action ofsaid skimmer, and means connected withv the up@ perl end ofsaidlever, vwhereby when said wheel is revolved said'leverwill begyrated, substantially, as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set' my hand this 29th day ofJanuary, 1901.

- JOHN L. OWENS. In presence of A. C. PAUL,

M.C. NooNAN.'

